The tale of Will Scarlett
by JamBerry
Summary: "It was your anger that drove them apart! It's not a lie! You ruined my life! I have more reason to hate you than anyone. Yet I found myself daring to believe in you." Find out the story behind Will's declaration. The story also contains Oo-de-lally from the Disney version of Robin Hood.


**The tale of Will Scarlett**

Will Scarlett was sitting by the fire when he saw Robin heading their way. He started to whistle

"There was a rich man from Nottingham who tried to cross a river

What a dope he tripped on a rope

Now look at him shiver".

He saw Robin get slightly agitated and smirked - he liked getting under the rich boy's skin. Little John told him to knock it off which he promptly did. Little John was more of a father to him than his own had been. Little John had saved his life.

Will Scarlett had every reason to hate Robin of Locksley - Robin had ruined his life. Even Little John didn't know the reasons behind his hate thinking it was all piss and wind - jealousy of Robin's nobility. Robin's nobility was only partly the reason for his anger. Robin of Locksley had joined them because he had been evicted off his lands and rashly became an outlaw by killing some unscrupulous men of the sheriff. Will felt that Robin of Locksley had no idea what it was to be poor – the constant lack of warmth, shelter and food. Every day since Will was born he had to struggle for his survival whereas Robin of Locksley had it all. Robin was nothing like them. Once Richard the Lion Heart was back in England from the Crusades he would overthrow Prince John and Robin would be back in his castle governing it over the likes of him. He wasn't fooled by the rich boy even if everyone else was. But the real reason for Will's hate of Robin was that they were brothers and his father had picked Robin's regard for him over Will's life time and time again.

Will's mother Nancy had been a peasant woman who occasionally worked on Lord Locksley's land. She had been pretty and gentle but naive. It wasn't long for her to be noticed by Lord Locksley who craved companionship after the many lonely years that had passed since losing his wife. Lord Locksley would seek Nancy out and eventually managed to seduce her. The servants gossiped about Lord Locksley's closeness with Nancy and this angered Robin believing that it was a disgrace to consort with a woman of lower class and was sullying his mother's memory. Robin's anger made Lord Locksley feel so much remorse that he sent Nancy away knowing that she was pregnant. Nancy's reputation was ruined and she supported herself and her child by doing any honest job she could get hold of such as selling flowers and picking fruit but finally when times were tough resorting to prostitution. Will knew what it was to go from day to day feeling hungry and cold. When Will was just six years old Nancy fell very ill and knew she was going to die. Nancy told Will who his father so that when the day of her death came he could seek his father out and be cared for.

Following his mother's instructions, when Nancy did die, Will sought help from his father and he was immediately placed under the care of the monks who ran a local orphanage. Lord Locksley was ashamed that he had fathered a bastard child and knew that Robin would despise him for it so chose the easiest route of getting rid of Will - Will would even go as far to say that his father had hoped that he would die in the orphanage. The orphanage had limited accommodation and only took orphans between seven and twelve who were fit and healthy for work. The monks were given very little charity by the noblemen of Nottingham to look after the children as taxes were so high and the nobles themselves were struggling to meet the needs of their own household. Orphans therefore farmed food from which only a portion was kept for their own mouths as most of it had to be sold to pay for their humble shelter and clothes. Will saw his father pay off the monks to take him despite not being of age and suffering from a bad cough and a high fever. Whilst Will was used to the feeling of hunger and cold he wasn't used to the hard labour nor the beatings that the monks would dish out to make the orphans in their care work harder. This was the first time that Will felt rejected by his father.

When Will was just 13 years old he was sold and became a blacksmith's apprentice. During these years, he was developed into a master craftsman of fine swords as well as an exceptional swordsman. But when the blacksmith died he was tossed out onto the street by the blacksmith's widow and her brother. Again he had nothing. Will had tried to seek help from Lord Locksley who turned him away with a flea in his ear - making it clear he was never to return unless he wanted the dogs to be set on him. Will never regarded Lord Locksley as his father ever again having been disappointed a second time. It wasn't long for Will to turn to stealing to stay alive. He got caught and was put in the stocks. During Will's week in the stocks he had only received bread and water; had rotten eggs and excrement thrown over him; was kicked and spat on by adults; tickled by children; and had been exposed to the harshness of daily and nightly weather. It was his first offense (or at least the first time he had been caught) so he wasn't branded with a hot iron like Much the Miller's Son but flogged. He had almost died. Lord Locksley had seen him in the stocks and did nothing for him - he could have used his nobility to release him. It was the third but last time he felt personally betrayed by Lord Locksley. But it was through this experience he found Little John and Fanny. Little John and Fanny out of pure kindness picked him off the streets, bathed him, healed his wounds and fed him until he could walk again. From there Little John found him some honest work. Will swore that he would always be there for Little John and his family whenever they needed him. When Little John was about to get arrested by the Sheriff's men for failing to pay taxes, Will used his skill with a sword and Little John used his skill with a staff to overcome them and run off, taking refuge in the forest.

When Will heard his father had been accused of being a devil worshipper and was killed for it he thought it served the old man right. Will had badly suffered because his father had abandoned him to the cruelness of the world and he knew Lord Locksley had done it because of Robin's morals. Lord Locksley would rather his bastard son die than be seen as less than flawless is his heir's eyes. But it was Robin's morals – his sense of right and wrong – that Will found himself daring to believe in him. Robin had joined them after defending Wulf from the sheriff's man. Robin had trained and lead them to fight the Prince John's oppression. Robin had treated them as equals even going as far as praising Will's excellent swordsmanship. But Will Scarlett still didn't trust Robin of Locksley - he wasn't sure if Robin would follow in his father's shoes and abandon those who now depended on him simply because they were poor and low-ranking. Will wondered that if the moment called for it would Robin of Locksley run like the spoilt little rich boy he took him for or stand beside them and fight till the end?

Will Scarlett's thoughts were disturbed by Friar Tuck singing

Robin Hood and Little John  
Walkin' through the forest  
Laughin' back and forth  
At what the other'ne has to say  
Reminiscin', This-'n'-thattin'  
Havin' such a good time  
Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally  
Golly, what a day  
Never ever thinkin' there was danger in the water  
They were drinkin', they just guzzled it down  
Never dreamin' that a schemin' sherrif and his posse  
Was a-watchin' them an' gatherin' around  
Robin Hood and Little John  
Runnin' through the forest  
Jumpin' fences, dodgin' trees  
An' tryin' to get away  
Contemplatin' nothin'  
But escape an' fin'lly makin' it  
Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally  
Golly, what a day  
Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally  
Golly, what a day

They all laughed at the Friar's new song based on the day's event when Little John and Robin had narrowly escaped the Sheriff's men. It was then that Will Scarlett contemplated that if Robin of Locksley was true to his word then they had hope of surviving Prince John's reign of terror. He would stand by Robin of Locksley until he proved himself unworthy of his trust. Then Will Scarlett would protect his family: Little John, Fanny, Wulf and the rest of their children; even if it meant handing over Robin of Locksley to the Sheriff himself.


End file.
